This invention relates to operating switching power converters in a phased power sharing array. Recently, power converter modules which convert power from an input voltage source for delivery to a load have become popular. One type of converter module is a quantized converter in which the amount of energy transferred from the source to the load during each converter operating cycle is finite and bounded within relatively narrow limits. Such converters adjust to changes in line and load conditions by changing their operating frequency. See "Forward Current Switching at Zero Current," U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,959, incorporated here by reference, for a more detailed discussion of quantized zero-current switching converters.
In certain quantized converters, such as half-wave zero-current switching converters, output power varies predictably with switching frequency. Power sharing between converters in an array therefore may be achieved by synchronizing the switching frequencies of the converters. Power-sharing converter arrays allow for delivery of higher power levels to a load than is possible with a single converter. See "Power Booster Switching at Zero Current", U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,020; "Enhancement-Mode Zero Current Switching Converter", U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,686; and "Synchronization of Power Converter Arrays," U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/631,890, filed Apr. 16, 1996; all of which are incorporated here by reference, for additional background information concerning power-sharing converter arrays.